


Bugged Out

by chinchillasinunison



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Animal Transformation, Ants, Bugs & Insects, Gen, Hive Mind, Honey, Science Experiments, Ultimate Talent Development Plan (Dangan Ronpa), Vomiting, Weirdness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 10:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30053799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chinchillasinunison/pseuds/chinchillasinunison
Summary: Gonta has worked out (with the aid of his classmates) a new way to help people better understand and empathize with bugs. The first test subjects? Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mondo Owada.
Relationships: Gokuhara Gonta & Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Oowada Mondo
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	Bugged Out

It’s not a typical sight to see, a note inching along of its own accord across the classroom floor directly to one’s desk, but if there’s one thing Mondo Owada learned while attending Hope’s Peak Academy, it was that it sure as hell wasn’t a typical school. When he discreetly plucked it from the ground, he saw it had been carried to him by two millipedes. That already gave him a pretty good idea of who wrote it before he set eyes to paper. After a quick glance to Kiyotaka to ensure the hall monitor wouldn’t rain his fiery wrath on him for looking at notes in class, he gave it a peek.

_Hello Mondo!_

_Gonta know because we are in separate classes we don’t talk much, and we have disagreements, but Gonta still think of Mondo as friend! Gonta would like to share something very special with Mondo and Kiyotaka over Free Time today! Gonta will be in Classroom 3-B. See you there!_

_Sincerely, Gonta_

It was kinda funny seeing the caveman speak written in an elegant cursive hand. It personified the contradictory nature of Gonta Gokuhara pretty well in his eyes. A gentleman and a wildman, staggeringly intelligent in his own field but clueless about many others, kind to all but God help you if you made him mad. He was a puzzling guy, and Mondo kinda liked that about him. He smirked at the message before stuffing it into his pocket.

When Free Time rolled around, Kiyotaka was hovering over his desk immediately.

"Hey bro! What do you want to do today? Maybe work out together? I know you said I shouldn't spend it all studying..."

"Nah, I got somethin' else in mind." He whipped out the paper with stylish nonchalance. _Damn, that was pretty smooth,_ he thought to himself, like a dork.

Kiyotaka took the note and scanned it. "Ah! You want to pay a visit to Gokuhara! Splendid!" He then asked, head tilting slightly to the side, "By the way, when did you get this?"

"Uh! Totally not in the middle of class, dude! Haha!" He deflected flaccidly before jumping to his feet and taking the hall monitor by the hand. "Let's go!"

They walked to the classroom on the third floor, and were indeed met with Gonta Gokuhara.

"Oh! You came! That makes Gonta so happy!" squeaked the green-haired giant.

“So what’s the sitch, big guy?”

“Gonta glad you asked! Remember back during sports festival, when we played basketball?”

“Yeah, ya said bugs were better than dogs an’ I got pissed, ‘cause there’s nothin’ better than dogs, I mean--!” Mondo was getting riled up just thinking about it.

“Bro, please remain civil,” Taka reminded him.

“Yes! No fighting! Fighting ungentlemanly!” Gonta added, then he went on to explain himself. “See, Gonta was thinking about that, that and Insect Meet and Greet at school festival. Gonta know Taka was... unsure about touching Gonta’s bugs. Normally, Gonta think people who don’t like bugs are bad... but Gonta knows Taka good! Taka is Ultimate Moral Compass, after all! And Gonta know Mondo good too, very gentlemanly!”

Mondo rubbed the back of his neck, blush creeping on his cheeks. “C’mon, man…”

The entomologist continued, “So, Gonta think people need help understanding bugs better, but showing them bugs not enough. Gonta need to do more!”

“Your determination to uphold and assist others in understanding your beliefs is inspiring!” praised Kiyotaka. “So, what method did you have in mind?”

“Oh! That the exciting part!”

With gusto and almost comedic timing, Gonta pulled a device from under one of the desks and slammed it down on its surface. Mondo and Kiyotaka stared at it with slacked jaws and wide eyes. It was (seemingly) a mundane object, in fact both boys knew it well, but that only caused more confusion as to why it was in the mitts of _Gonta_ of all people.

“This is Bug Zapper!”

Mondo was the first to speak up. “Gonta, what the fuck?”

“Huh? Did Gonta do something wrong?”

“I mean, for you, I’d say so! You speak bug, doncha? Can’t ya hear ‘em scream?!”

“Forgive our shock, but this is a bit like Sonia Nevermind stating she has found a way to end political discourse in her country and then presenting a guillotine.”

Gonta blinked, then he looked upset. “Oh, Gonta idiot! Gonta not explain good enough! It not _real_ bug zapper, Miu just call it that for branding!”

“Ah, so it’s one of… Miss Iruma’s inventions…” Kiyotaka wasn't any more relieved by that. Mondo hadn’t really met the girl, but he knew by proxy that she was… pretty intense. Taka had good reason to be worried.

“Yes! Kokichi listened to Gonta ramble and had Miu make this! Isn’t that nice?”

“Oh, so that Kokichi boy is involved, too…” mumbled Taka.

Mondo ignored his friend's trepidation for now. “What’s it do?”

Gonta’s eyes sparkled. It seems he was waiting for that question for a while. “Let Gonta show you!”

He pressed a button on the top and the lamp within surged an unworldly blue. The energy grew and grew until a huge bolt of it jumped through the bars of the cage, directly at the biker. Kiyotaka lept in the way to protect him but only succeeded in getting blasted as well.

When the blue light zapping them died and the smoke cleared, Mondo found himself laying on his back on the classroom floor. He was looking up at Gonta, who somehow appeared even larger than usual. “What the fuck was that?”

He felt weird. Really, really weird. He seemed stiff, like he hadn’t used his muscles in forever so he could only bend in certain places. He kept trying to turn over, but for some reason it was really difficult for his arms to reach the floor, so he was left wobbling. That is, until Gonta took hold of _something_ on his head and flipped him over. It almost looked like his pompadour peeking into view, only this extended far too long and it was much too dark and solid. When the ends of his limbs touched the floor he was stunned to find he had six of them.

“S-son of a bitch…” he grumbled. “Gonta, what did you do to me?!”

Gonta couldn’t process the question as he was far too engrossed in studying Mondo. “Oh! Mondo is a gorgeous specimen! What pretty elytra!"

"Oh, I'll show you my elytra!" he shouted, having no idea what that was.

"Now Mondo, there will be none of that!" He heard Kiyotaka's stern voice, but he couldn't see him.

"Bro, where the hell are you?" He looked around and there was no sign of the hall monitor. He did, however, spy an ant. A black ant with distinctly red eyes.

"Oh, Jesus Christ. Don't tell me that's _you_ , Taka…"

"Yes, it… it is me. What exactly... am I at the moment?"

"Japanese carpenter ant," Gonta supplied. "Eye color unusual, though. Should be black. Pigment variation seems to be running theme. Also… Taka look like worker ant, but those are lady ants. Taka is… lady?"

"What?! No! My bro is a full-blooded _man_ , no matter what he looks like!"

"Ah! Sorry! That was very rude!" He apologized.

"You are forgiven," said Kiyotaka with a nod.

Mondo glanced back to Gonta, concerned, "Wait, ya didn't turn _me_ into a girl bug too, right?"

"No, no! Only male Hercules beetles have horns! Mondo very tough and manly bug!"

"Well, that makes me feel a little better..." he admitted, "...but what's the big idea turnin' me into a goddamn beetle in the first place?!"

"Yes, Gokuhara! I, too, demand an explanation!"

Gonta sat down on the floor, folding his legs. "This what Gonta was talking about: best way to understand bugs... is to _be_ bug!" His face twinged self-consciously. "Eh, Kokichi phrase it better…" He continued, "Kokichi say Taka and friend are good people to start with. Kokichi say to think of it like educational excursion, Taka!"

Mondo cut in, "Bullshit. Sounds to me like the little shit wanted the hall monitor and the scary guy backing him up out of the way so he can fuck around as he pleases…"

Gonta pouted. "That not true!" He glanced over to Kiyotaka. "Taka would like to learn, right?"

"It's true that I always enjoy an opportunity to educate myself, but… Gonta, it's untoward to enact these kinds of body modifications on a person without their consent!"

He recoiled when he processed that. "S-sorry! So sorry! Gonta idiot! Gonta not gentleman at all!" He admonished himself.

"Aw, c'mon man, don't be like that. Yer tryin', that's more than a lot 'a folks do."

"As long as you recognize and remedy your mistake, it's alright." His antennae twitched. It made Mondo notice two things: one, that ant feelers sprouted from between the eyes rather than the top of the head like in cartoons, and two, said positioning made them resemble Kiyotaka's thick, constantly knitted eyebrows to a T. He hoped after this shit was put to bed that he'd forget that observation, because if he didn't it was probably gonna haunt him forever.

"What… what do you mean by that?" Kiyotaka's disturbed tone rerouted his train of thought.

 _Shit, wait, did Gonta say something?_ He was spending an uncomfortable amount of time thinking about his best friend's eyebrows, so he wasn't paying attention. But just judging by Kiyotaka's tone...

"Son of a... we're not stuck like this for the rest of our lives, are we?"

Gonta waved his hands frantically. "No, no! It not that! Bug Zapper can reverse! It just… take time to charge after firing. Miu say it need lots of juice to change all the…" He gestured vaguely. "...everything."

"I suppose that makes sense, it's a stark metamorphosis. How long should it be?"

"Well, shot more people than last charge, so--"

"Wait, who else did ya shoot?"

"Miu test on Ryoma. Ryoma not mind."

A Japanese emperor caterpillar poked its head out of Gonta's mass of hair. Though bright green was not the tennis star's color, with the two horn-like appendages protruding from the head and a marking on the face recalling a catlike grin, the insect resembled him well enough. Or at least, those features accompanied by that distinct bass did.

"Hey."

Mondo raised his foreleg in an attempt to wave at him, but he couldn't quite manage it.

Kiyotaka fixed his gaze on him for a few moments, then shook his head to snap his attention away. "Erm, again, how long will it take?"

"Gonta think… an hour… maybe two? And Ryoma smaller than you two, so… maybe longer still? Maybe three?" he said with a wince.

"THAT LONG?!" the pair exclaimed.

"G-Gonta not sure! Gonta not good with machines!"

"So we... may be stuck like this for the rest of the school day?" Kiyotaka rasped shakily, then cried out, "Oh, what a terrible fate! How am I supposed to take notes without fingers?!"

" _THAT'S_ WHAT YER CONCERNED ABOUT?!"

"NO MORE YELLING!" shouted Gonta, the red of his eyes flaring. The two teens-turned-insects immediately shut up. He sighed. "Gonta know you're alarmed, but being bugs is not bad at all! Taka and Mondo will be fine, maybe even learn something! In meantime, Gonta will recharge Zapper. That alright?"

They nodded and nervously agreed. Gonta, an entomologist on a mission, hopped over them and out the door to look for an outlet. As they watched him leave, a little worry ate at them that they shouldn't have separated, considering Gonta was the only person who understood their speech.

"So… the hell do we do now?"

The ant tossed his head back snootily. "Well, obviously, like good little boys we go back to class and carry on with our studies!"

"Dude, are you serious?! You literally said it yourself that ya can't write anything down! Ya prolly can't turn a page without missin' the teacher readin' half a' it! An' she prolly won't even see ya when callin' roll, so what's the point in going?!"

Kiyotaka's antennae drooped. They were so adorably expressive, it almost made up for the unchanging ant face. "Ah. You are correct on that front. I can't afford falling behind in my studies, but the impairments this presents will be so great it may not matter if I attend at all. Hmm." He pondered for a minute or so. "But still, I cannot sit around and do nothing! I should at least attend to some of my duties!"

Mondo understood the implication: even as an entirely different species, Kiyotaka Ishimaru was going to watch steadfastly over the hallways. He wouldn't expect anything less from him. That didn't mean he didn't have doubts, however.

"How ya gonna cover any ground when yer only a centimeter long?"

His foreleg gingerly bopped him on his smaller horn, which had a similar enough placement to a nose that the playful gesture came across. "That's where you come in, bro!"

"Huh? Look, yeah, I'm bigger than you, but I still ain't big enough, plus I'm clumsy in this armor…"

"You can fly."

"...Eh?"

"Mondo, you are a beetle. Beetles have wings."

"I HAVE WINGS?!"

"Yes!" He skittered onto Mondo and pried open his wing-cases (the elytra Gonta was raving about), unleashing another set of new limbs. On instinct, he fluttered them, blowing Kiyotaka off and hovering a smidge off the ground.

"HOLY SHIT! THIS IS AWESOME!" He yelled it with the same intensity as a mountain climber at a grand peak.

He saw Taka on the floor and his attention lapsed, causing him to tumble back down. It didn't dampen his enthusiasm, however.

"DIDYA SEE THAT?! I FLEW! THAT WAS SO BADASS!"

Taka chuckled, "Yes, I did see it! Now would you be so kind as to give me a lift?"

"Sure, sure!" He lowered his head and Taka crawled onto his horn. "I'm gonna try for somethin' higher, I think."

He beat his wings and rose from the floor, soon hovering about a head below his human height. The biker-turned-beetle cackled with delight.

"Now let's see how fast these puppies can go!" he declared.

"Wait, Mondo! I still have to monitor the-- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

The duo zoomed through the halls like a jet, Mondo treating it like his own personal racetrack. As a proud motorhead, once he got a taste of speed, it was difficult to pull him away. That, combined with the sheer novelty of self-propelled flight, cast a spell over him that was almost impossible to break.

It made him forget how students who weren't the Ultimate Entomologist would react to a giant insect buzzing around the halls at high velocity. He was reminded of it the moment he plowed into the unexpecting face of Kazuichi Soda.

Kazuichi let out his typical terrified shriek, which was nearly deafening at this proximity. He flailed like a madman.

"GETTIT OFF! GETTIT OFF!"

Mondo screamed reflexively in response (even though Kazuichi couldn't understand him), "I'M TRYIN' TO GET OFF BUT MY LEG IS STUCK IN YER DUMBASS SHARK TEETH!"

Kiyotaka, also panicking but trying to remain professional, shouted, "KAZUICHI SODA! WHAT ARE YOU AND YOUR CLASSMATES EVEN DOING IN THE HALLS?! DIDN'T YOU HEAR THE BELL?! ONCE I HAVE HANDS AGAIN, I'M WRITING YOU ALL DETENTION SLIPS!"

"IT'S GONNA EAT ME!" was Kazuichi's only reply.

His friend Hajime kept telling him to calm down, meanwhile Hiyoko Saionji giggled impishly at his misery. Mahiru Koizumi rolled her eyes at his incompetence.

Kazuichi yanked his wrench from his jumpsuit pocket and swung it towards the bug. Serendipitously, Mondo got his leg out in the nick of time. Kazuichi only succeeded in clocking himself in the face. In all the confusion, as Hiyoko shrieked with laughter and Hajime caught the now dazed mechanic, Mondo tumbled through the air. He and Kiyotaka hurtled out a window Mahiru opened (presumably to let the beetle out) and into a nearby tree.

After he got settled clinging to the bark, he huffed, "You good, man?"

"Yes… I'm… fine…" he puffed. "Wait, how are we breathing heavily if we don't have lungs?"

"Bro, I don't know and I really don't care."

Meanwhile, Mahiru observed Mondo resting upon the tree. Though she specialized in portraiture, she still recognized a unique photo op when she saw one. An iridescent beetle with fine black spots that looked exactly like a dragon and billowing flames orbiting an odd circular symbol certainly fit that description. If she knew it was simply some guy from another class fooling around she might not have thought him worthy to document. But she didn't, so she snapped a few pictures of him as sunbeams glistened across his elytra. When finished, she shut the window and followed as Hajime dragged Kazuichi to the nurse's office.

"Well, there goes our entryway," sighed Taka, "We'll have to find some other way back inside…"

"Or we could, ya know, not do that. We could fly around in all these wide open spaces."

He gasped, "Mondo! We're already skipping classes! Are you seriously suggesting that we leave school grounds as well?!"

"Uh, yeah? Dude, we're pals and all, but ya gotta remember I'm literally enrolled here because I'm a delinquent. I don't know what to tell ya."

Taka let out one of his signature grunts and cried, "Well, I know what to tell you: I refuse! You can explore as much as you like, but leave me behind! I will not sully my attendance record!"

If Mondo were in human form, he would roll his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Runaround out in the wild by yourself as a tiny little ant. See how that works out."

"You... make a fair point…" he regretfully conceded. If they ran into any predators, Mondo's horns and girth would be their best defense.

"Not to mention, ya know, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I wanna live it up for a bit," Mondo added, wing-cases shifting restlessly.

Kiyotaka thought hard for a moment.

"Very well. I'll supervise you on a little detour, but we're coming directly back."

"Gotcha, bro." Kiyotaka imagined him punctuating that with a wink.

Mondo took flight, and Taka groused through the noisy buzz of his wings, "I can't believe this. This day will live in infamy as the one where you turned me into a truant!"

"Well that wasn't my fault," he countered, "that was all Gonta."

It took a minute for the pun to register, but when it did the Ultimate Moral Compass was absolutely tickled. "Oh! _True ant!_ Hahaha! Clever, bro!"

They flew for a while, so swift Taka could hardly keep track of where they were. They flew over some streets, Mondo cackling and calling the drivers below suckers for being confined to the ground. Soon, Mondo stopped to rest in a wooded area that was likely part of the nearby park.

"I'm startin' to get a lil' hungry…"

"As am I. We should have asked Gonta what our species' diets are…"

"Well, yer a carpenter ant. Don't they eat wood?"

"I think that's termites, bro."

"Damn."

As they thought about lunch, the pair were completely unaware of what sitting ducks they were. Mondo's exotic coloration was in plain view of any park goer. He shimmered in the sunlight that shone through the leaves like a nugget of pure gold.

_Smack!_

Mondo's vision was swamped with white mesh. The former biker startled. He flew in an attempt to strike his assailant, but only succeeded in nesting himself deeper into the net. A hand closed off the way he came and drew him away from the tree as he struggled.

"Well, aren't _you_ a handsome fella?" said the bug catcher. "Such a big one, too! People are gonna pay a pretty penny for you..."

"FUCK YOU!" Mondo screamed at his captor. He knew it was useless, but it made him feel better.

The bug catcher soon forced Mondo into a terrarium, snapping the lid shut behind him.

His legs pounded against the plastic, so small the action sounded like megger tapping. "I HAVE A WHOLE FUCKIN' GANG, YA KNOW! ONCE THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME, YER DEAD MEAT! TAKEMICHI'S GONNA RIP YOUR BALLS OFF AND I'M GONNA LAUGH!"

The bug catcher stood and picked the terrarium up. After getting jostled around and seeing the size of the slits on the top, Mondo resolved a plan.

"Okay Taka, crawl through one a' those holes and use your ant strength or whatever to snap open the lid. Or crawl into his pants or somethin' to make 'm itchy! I don't care, I just don't wanna end up pinned and mounted on some bastard's wall!"

There was no response. Nothing. He couldn't feel his miniscule weight on his horn.

"T-Taka?"

He looked about the clear plastic walls. No sign of him. He realized to his horror that in all the confusion of being caught, Taka must have fallen off of him.

That meant...

Taka was... alone. Just a single, solitary black ant, barely a centimeter long, forced to survive out in this big scary world in complete isolation. He could get hurt out there or far worse, and it would be all Mondo's fault.

"BROOOOOO!!!!"

Mondo screamed and screamed to be let out, but all the bug catcher could hear was his buzzing wings and the occasional toink from his horn hitting the walls.

Meanwhile, back at Hope's Peak Academy, everything was chaos. Kokichi had coated door knobs with glue, spread _some_ sort of slippery substance in the halls, and (most impressively) stretched sheets of plastic cling wrap all the way over the cafeteria entrance, which gave Akane Owari quite a surprise when she came down for a snack.

The staff tried to get everyone sorted as they dealt with the situation. Classes were put on hold as they needed more hands than anticipated to clean up the mess. Class 78, without their teacher, was quick to notice that a certain Ultimate Moral Compass was uncharacteristically absent.

"Well, we've found out how Kokichi had the chance to set this all up..." concluded Kyoko.

"But where's Taka?" puzzled Makoto.

As if on cue, a giant figure skidded across the floor outside the classroom and fell with a crash. A beat afterwards, Gonta Gokuhara burst into the room.

"Taka! Mondo! It finished charging!" He cast his gaze around the room and saw no insects. "Oh."

"Hey Gonta!" Aoi greeted with a warm smile, "Did you see Taka somewhere?"

"Ah, yes! Gonta met with Taka and Mondo not too long ago!"

Sakura picked up. "Did anything unusual happen while you were with them? I can't imagine what would possess him to cut class unless it was an emergency..."

"Being bug not emergency!" the entomologist cried sharply, "It not gross or scary! It fun time!"

"Being… bug?" echoed Leon, "The hell are you talking about?"

"I kn-know, right? His grammar is atrocious," mumbled Toko.

He held up the device he carried. "Bug Zapper! Miu made it! It zap people and turn them into bugs!"

"It turns them… into bugs…" Makoto parroted.

"Yes…" Gonta shuffled awkwardly under their scrutiny.

Sayaka guessed, "And you turned Kiyotaka and Mondo into bugs, didn't you?"

"I can't believe you're all buying into this," said Byakuya with a roll of his eyes.

Gonta ignored the heir's commentary. "Y-yes, Sayaka. Gonta wanted others to appreciate bugs. Kokichi say this best way and Gonta was idiot and believed him." He lowered his head in shame.

"What sort of bugs did they change into?" pressed Kyoko.

"Taka become Japanese carpenter ant and Mondo become Hercules beetle."

"That's oddly fitting," observed Hifumi, "Mr. Ishimaru is industrious and rigid in his role like an ant, while Mr. Owada's strength and ferocity suits a fighting insect-- a Hercules beetle especially, given the horn."

Some of his classmates gave him a weird look.

"What? I process things by relating them to common tropes! You all ought to know this by now!" he said, miffed.

"So where are they now?" Aoi asked the entomologist, disregarding the fanfic author's input.

"Gonta doesn't know. Gonta thought they were with you!"

It turned out the search was going to be more in-depth than any anticipated. Kyoko and Makoto volunteered to accompany Gonta to quiz the other classes. Luckily for them (thank you Mr. Naegi), they didn't have to go far.

"Oh? You're looking for a weird beetle? I've seen one. It flew right into Kazuichi's face earlier," said Mahiru when they asked Class 77-B. She showed them the picture she took.

Kyoko only had to glance at it. "That's definitely him. It has the Crazy Diamonds crest on its back."

"So he and Kiyotaka are somewhere outside? That sounds pretty dangerous when they're so small, especially for Taka. I mean, at least Mondo has his horns to defend himself."

"N-no worry! Gonta thought about that soon after he left them! Gonta realized Taka is ant without colony, so he has no pheromones! If Taka met other ants, they would tear Taka apart! So Gonta found some bug friends and told them to spread news, especially to ants! Gonta told them Taka no invader, he respectable and hardworking! Taka would be valuable member of any colony!" He smiled, his i's dotted and t's crossed.

Kyoko placed her finger on her cheek, thumb resting on her chin. "So let me get this straight: you told these hiveminds of insects that our factionless friend would be a good addition to their numbers? Someone who gets as manic about following the rules placed upon him as Kiyotaka?"

Her implication with that blanketed the three of them: that if any ants found him and inducted him into their ranks, Kiyotaka Ishimaru may lose his sense of self entirely. Gonta's face changed to horror and he picked them both up with ease, racing out the front door.

* * *

It felt lovely. Of course it did. It was serving its colony, gnawing at the tree trunk with its countless sisters to help the colony grow and grow. What a wonder it was, the colony. It was terrifying when it fell amongst them and they swarmed. But the moment the Queen's pheromones washed over it, the red-eyed ant knew everything would be alright.

It loved to work. It _lived_ to work, and worked to live. It thinks that was so even before it fell. It _thinks_ that rather than knows that because it can hardly remember what the time before the Queen and her lovely scent was like.

It paused, ever so briefly. An antenna flicked.

What had it been like…? Why had it been up in the heights of the tree the colony nested within...?

Ah, that didn't matter. The experiences and life of the ant itself didn't matter. It was trivial knowledge. All that mattered was the Queen's will and the good of the colony. The colony, the colony, the colony...

This was why, when some strange electric field surrounded it, the ant didn't care. If it were to die, such a thing was inconsequential to the survival of the colony. They had lived before without it, and they could do so again. It was merely one of thousands.

Then, something even more strange happened. The red-eyed ant began to grow. It grew and grew far too large for the tunnels to contain. Its body burst through the frail, chewed wood. It split the whole trunk, taking the entire formicary down with it. It lay in the aftermath, its sisters rendered tiny and fleeing the scene. It sat up, pulling itself up with its bizarre new anatomy. It looked about, directionless. "The… the Queen!" it huffed, then cried, "My Queen! Your Highness! Where are you?!" Water was welling up and falling from its eyes for some reason.

"Whoa, whoa! It's okay!"

There were people there. Humans. The boy with the cowlick approached the former ant. He offered it a hand.

"I'm sure she's, uh, fine. Listen, we need to get you back to school. You remember school?"

"Was that my first colony?" the ant asked.

"Er, close enough." He took its arm and dragged it up with a grunt. It rocked on its own two feet, gazing at those tall black boots. It knocked its knuckles against the leather and was appalled at its softness.

"What a flimsy exoskeleton!" it exclaimed.

"Oh, he's got it _bad_ …" the human commented to his companions.

"It because of the Queen's pheromones," supplied the largest of them. "Taka's brain must be overloaded with them. All Taka know right now is how to be good ant and subject."

"That means he won't be of much help locating Mondo…" spoke the female human.

"Gonta can ask animals where Mondo go after this, like before…" the largest suggested.

"Mon...do…?" said the ant, playing with the word on its new tongue. It felt so achingly familiar.

"Yes, Taka: Mondo. He's your friend. He's a…" He hesitated for a moment. "...beetle. Do you remember a beetle?"

The ant searched its fuzzy memory. "I… I do. When the colony was… carrying me away, I saw a beetle. In a box. A human trapped it and took it somewhere. Th-that way." It pointed in the direction.

The large one stepped forward, his face steely. "Gonta will find person who took Mondo. Makoto and Kyoko will take care of Taka."

The pair nodded, and Gonta was off. Makoto and Kyoko walked Kiyotaka all the way back to Hope's Peak Academy.

"What kind of ant was I to associate with a beetle?" he thought aloud on their journey, concerned. It was fascinating that even with an insect mentality, his worries didn't seem out of place for his usual self, albeit from much earlier in his high school career.

"You weren't an ant, you were a human."

"My dear lady, I assure you that is not the case! Despite my current size and appearance, I am a servant of the Queen through and through! I am a slave to every whim of my colony! Who's ever heard of _a human_ with such mindless dedication?!"

They both thought it wise not to answer him.

"There must be something we can do to snap him out of it," said Makoto as they entered the school building.

"We have to flush out all those pheromones first. We need to take him somewhere where there's a lot of fragrances."

They wondered where that might be, until Taka himself spoke up.

"E-excuse me, do you happen to have any syrup or something of the like here? I'm extremely hungry."

Ah, perfect. They made their way to the cafeteria and snuck their way into the kitchen. Luckily, due to Akane's spill, it had been one of the first places purged of Kokichi's chaos. Though no one was there cooking, there were still plenty of aromas to be found.

"There's sure to be something for you in here. Why don't you take a look around?"

"Or a… sniff?" Makoto had started the suggestion with confidence, but realizing how unnatural it was made him fumble at the end.

Kiyotaka looked about eagerly, then his eyes narrowed. "Hmm. That's odd. I can't detect anything." He then licked his fingers and slicked his eyebrows, as if this would somehow improve his sense of smell. Even the ace junior detective was flummoxed by that move, until the hall monitor said, "My antennae are clean, so I don't understand the issue…"

Makoto offered a helpful tip. "Kiyotaka, you're a person. Just… breathe through your nose to smell."

"I told you before, I am not human!" Despite that, he took the advice and inhaled loudly through his nostrils. "Oh! Wait! I do believe you're onto something, Mr. Naegi! Nifty!"

They both knew they didn't tell him Makoto's last name after he transformed back, so this was a good sign that his mind was already becoming clearer. Kiyotaka scurried around the kitchen, looking for a treat to please his formic palette. He discovered amongst the sweeteners an ursine bottle of honey. He held it aloft proudly, like he was an archeologist who found a grand lost treasure.

"Oh, you found something? Cool. Do you want to put that on a peanut butter sandwich or maybe in some tea--"

Taka popped off the cap and put the spout to his lips. He threw his head back and chugged the honey straight from the bottle. All of it.

Makoto blinked in astonishment. "Or you can just do that..."

Pleased as punch, Taka moved on to the maple syrup. He gulped down a good half of the bottle until his eyes shot wide open and he choked on it, some syrup leaking from his nostrils. He tore it away from his lips, gagging and coughing. He swallowed what was left in his mouth and shrieked at Makoto, "WHY WOULD YOU LET ME DO THAT?!"

"I-I don't know!" He stammered. "I guess I trust your judgement?! Plus you already drank the honey!"

"I did wha--" Taka suddenly closed his mouth, his cheeks puffing from what thankfully turned out to only be a sizable, saccharine burp. His expression betrayed his queasiness. "Ugh…"

"Glad to have you back, Ishimaru," Kyoko commented calmly.

"G-glad to be back…" He swayed, his whole face scrunched up, and he held his stomach. "Oh, goodness…"

"You need a trash can?"

"No, no, I'm… alright." He shook his head, as if to shake away the sickness. "Wait, Mondo's still out there, isn't he?! He's been captured by some sinister bug collector! We have to rescue him!"

"Gonta's already on the case," Kyoko assured him, holding him back. "Don't jostle yourself too much."

Reluctantly, he took her advice. Makoto got him some water and the three slowly made their way back to the classroom to wait. Taka was beginning to worry they may never return, that the only way he could see his best friend again was through videos of insect fighting tournaments. The thought made him even sicker than he already was. However, Gonta did return, with the Bug Zapper in hand and a gorgeous beetle sitting upon his shoulder.

"Bro!" Taka squeaked, launching out of his chair to the front of the classroom. That spelled trouble for his tummy, but he didn't care. The Hercules beetle flew up to him, and when he cupped his hands the insect landed without hesitation. He could sense Mondo was equally thrilled to see him. Kiyotaka looked up at Gonta. "How did you manage it? I doubt he was very willing to part with him…"

"Ah… Gonta… tried to keep civil. Man was mad, said he caught Mondo fair and square, which was true. Told him Mondo was person, he didn't believe Gonta. So Gonta say, erm, ungentlemanly thing at Mondo's request-- threat with dirty words. That made bug catcher back off."

Taka looked down at his beetle buddy crossly. _Of course_ that was Mondo's solution. He could imagine him shrugging in response, saying something along the lines of, "Well, it worked, didn't it?"

"Is Mondo ready?"

Mondo nodded and flew from Taka's hands. The Zapper hit him and he transmogrified before his classmates' very eyes. Human again, he ran to Kiyotaka and picked him up, spinning and swinging him around in his excitement. "Bro! I'm so happy to see you again!"

Taka replied to this in the only way he could at the moment-- by puking his lunch of honey and maple syrup all over him. He stood there, stewing in the sticky, stinking mess as Taka feverishly tried to clean it up, running to the bathroom for paper towels.

"S-sorry, bro! I only ate all that because I still thought I was an ant when I changed back! It's not your fault!"

Mondo was red in the face, absolutely livid. But he wasn't about to take his anger out on Taka, no sirree. Instead, he walked up to Gonta, hand outstretched.

Gonta wrenched the machine close to his chest. "Mondo--"

"Dude, I know what yer about to say, how this is some marvel miracle of science and a tool for future generations or whatever the fuck, but this shit's been nothin' but trouble. I nearly got kidnapped today and I don't even know what the hell happened to Taka but I. Am. Fucking. Pissed. An' you said it yerself, it's just some ploy Kokichi suckered you into."

Gonta frowned. He wanted to share his love of insects to the world more than anything, and this was his best shot at doing so. At the same time, however, Mondo was completely right. This device did only seem to cause people grief. And what sort of scoundrel would he be to make people suffer so harshly for the sake of a lesson?

He shoved it into the biker's hands, head turned away and eyes squeezed shut. "Here."

Mondo stepped away from both him and Taka and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor. With one swift stomp, he crushed it to pieces.

"You're cleaning that," said Kiyotaka, not even looking up from his own mess.

Gonta quietly exited the classroom. He slumped his back against a wall and sighed deeply. He felt like such a failure afterwards, but at least the affair was over and done with…

A little something wriggled in his hair. A caterpillar.

"Hmph... So, how exactly do you plan on changing me back now?"

**Author's Note:**

> this was like a really weird Magic School Bus episode where nobody learned anything
> 
> *Edit: This fic now has some lovely fanart! Check it out!
> 
> https://doctorbunny.tumblr.com/post/645925315830530048/bugs-this-was-inspired-by-chinchillasinunison-s


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